Cole Haan teams with Slack to drop a limited-edition sneaker collection — a dystopian ode to 'the pandemic-related rise of remote working'

• Cole Haan partnered with Slack to create a limited-edition sneaker collection inspired by the popular business communication platform.
• The shoes — which retail for $120 and will officially be available on October 7 — come in Slack's four signature colors and prominently display the tech company's logo.
• According to Cole Haan, the sneakers were inspired by "the pandemic-related rise of remote working" that has led many businesses to lean heavily on programs like Slack.

In a sneaker collaboration fit for these uncertain times, Cole Haan is pairing with Slack to launch a new limited-edition shoe collection.

The "Generation Zerøgrand" shoe — which retails for $120 and will officially be available online and in select Cole Haan stores beginning October 7 — includes four styles that prominently display the Slack logo. The collection was created in partnership with Slack and designed entirely through communication conducted on its popular business messaging platform, Cole Haan said in a press release.

The apparel brand first teased the Slack sneakers on its official Twitter page, telling its followers to "keep your notifications on" for the official launch. According to Cole Haan, the sneakers were inspired by "the pandemic-related rise of remote working" that has caused many businesses to lean heavily on programs like Zoom and Slack to facilitate virtual communication and manage workflows without being together in the office.

—Cole Haan (@colehaan) October 4, 2020

"The partnership felt like a natural fit for the two innovation brands, particularly given that each stage of Cole Haan's product development — including the creation of this particular collaboration — happens on Slack," Cole Haan said.

Cole Haan first debuted its Zerøgrand shoe in June 2019 followed by a performance version in June 2020, a sneaker the company said was "engineered to deliver for the active lives of young professionals — whether it's a 5-mile run or a 9-hour workday." For the Slack collection, Cole Haan used its Zerøgrand shoe as a foundation and integrated Slack's signature colors of blue, green, red, and yellow.

"Slack's innovative capabilities have proven to be a valuable tool and asset for our company," David Maddocks, president of Cole Haan, said in a statement. "Our teams can communicate around the world as we continue to revolutionize performance lifestyle products that transition from work to workout to weekend — even if that's happening wherever you might be right now."

Slack's widespread popularity in recent years helped propel the tech brand to file its initial public offering in April 2019 at a valuation of $23 billion. Though Slack currently has an online merchandise store featuring branded items like socks and T-shirts, this is the company's first collaboration with a major fashion brand.

"Collaboration is key to bringing any product to life and it's especially rewarding when it's a product we can physically see," Julie Leigl, chief marketing officer of Slack, said in a statement.